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Amazing? - July 26

0.4.

Something about that
number irks me, especially given that we're talking
about "The Amazing Race" on GSN.

A word of explanation.
"The Amazing Race", which GSN has paid $6 million for
off-network broadcast rights, has averaged a 0.4 for the
two weeks it has been on. Consider that the average
viewership of GSN is a 0.6, and you can understand why
I'm more than a bit perturbed. After all, you have a $6
million investment, and it's doing nothing for you...

Or so I thought. This
from out friends at Buzzer! The Game Show Blog: "This
number is 11% better than the previous show. Also, for
GSN's overall ratings, this means that 2/3 of the
programs in primetime are getting at least a 0.4." So
basically no one is watching the most popular primetime
acquisition on GSN's lineup, "Who Wants To Be a
Millionaire." I find it a bit hard to believe.

But the news is not all
bad, apparently. Again, going to the article: GSN's
median age has also dropped quite a bit now. The
primetime age median has dropped to 50 years old. Ages
18-45, which is the key demographic for advertisers, got
a .22, which is 69% better than it use to be. For Adults
25-54, the show is getting a .25, a 67% increase. Ian
Valentine, Senior Vice President of Programming, stated,
"We couldn't be more thrilled with the first week's
ratings performance of The Amazing Race. We had hoped
the series would add new younger viewers and it
definitely has, with our median age dropping by 12
years."

Going to an article in
Reality TV Magazine: as a result of "The Amazing Race"'s
addition in prime time (8:00-11:00 PM), the network has
dropped its season-to-date median age from 57.5 to
50-years-old. It averaged nearly 350,000 viewers Persons
2+ per telecast, a 29 percent increase over the
season-to-date average."

So apparently a 0.4 is a
good thing if you're trying to drop 12 years off of a
ten-year-old network's primetime slot. I'll let you
figure that one out.

In other GSN numbers,
"Extreme Dodgeball" is now the highest-rated show on GSN
among 18-to-34-year-olds, according to the network, and
in many ways it has become key to the channel's
programming strategy." This according to a Newsday
report. The jury is still out on Ballbreakers, though,
but hey, I enjoy it.

"Big Brother" is
Being Watched.

... and apparently the
night to watch is, no surprise, Thursday. Last
Thursday's episode, which saw amateur fondler Michael
Donnellan get the royal boot, got a 5.5/10, winning the
8pm hour. Only second for the week was the Tuesday
showing, and even then, it wasn't by much. Even with
presidential coverage, the series scores a 5.5/9. The
Saturday rating: a second-place-tying 3.3/7, typical of
Saturdays when no one is watching TV. Expect these
numbers to perk up once we get closer to the end of the
three-month sojourn into the eyes of Big Brother.

Rocky Start for Rock
Star

Two weeks in, and the
news is only somewhat rosy for Mark Burnett's latest
brainchild, "Rock Star: INXS". The show, which premiered
against an already-established "Hell's Kitchen", came in
at 3.9/6 for CBS, fourth place. For what it's worth,
"Hell's Kitchen" tied NBC for the lead at 9p with 4.1/7,
with a second-place 4.3/7 the week after. But back to
"Rock Star" for a second. Take a look at this:

So the highest scores
come on performance Tuesdays. So Mr. Burnett, if you're
reading this, if you want to mount this next season (and
if anyone will let you), concentrate more on the
performances and less on the drama. Trust us on this
one.

While we're on last
Wednesday...

The dancing trend
continues, as Fox scored big time with the summer's next
big premiere, "So You Think You Can Dance". The dance
battle-cum-American-Idol gave Fox the W in A18-49, 4.4,
and total overnights, 6.2/11. The premiere of "So You
Think You Can Dance" on FOX was a close second at 5.5/10
at 8p, but it was in the absence of NBC's greatest TV
moments special where it really shot out the gate,
scoring the night's best rating, 7.0/12.

Sure, we're always quick
to point out that one showing does not a hit or miss
make, but you can't help but wonder if we'll see more of
the same this week, especially with growth in the 9pm
hour.

By comparison purely,
"Dancing with the Stars" scored a 9.4/15, first-place in
its premiere. So while "So You Think You Can Dance"
shook things up a bit, the king still stands supreme.

In other numbers...

· The "blink and you
missed it" finale of "The Scholar" scored a 2.9/5, down
25 percent from its opener. If ABC tries again, I'd
suggest retooling the format and finding a more
TV-friendly host.

· "The Cut" continues to
unimpress with a 2.7/5. down 50 percent from the opening
showing. And just when it was getting interesting,
too... Oh well...

That's all the numbers
we can come up for this week. Until then, remember, the
numbers never lie... and I ain't dead yet :)

Chico Alexander is
still looking for tips on "Ballbreakers" and "Iron Chef
America". E-mail him at chico@gameshownewsnet.com.